Celtics fall to Pistons

Auburn Hills, Mich. - Greg Monroe had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons to their first home win of the season, 103-83 over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.

The Pistons (2-9) had blown double-digit leads in each of their first three home games, but were never seriously threatened by Boston down the stretch.

The Celtics, playing their fourth game in five nights, hit only four 3-pointers and trailed by as many as 22 points.

Jason Maxiell added 15 points for the Pistons, who had six players in double figures and shot 54.5 percent for the night.

Jared Sullinger led the Celtics with 16 points, while Kevin Garnett had 15.

The only consolation for the Celtics was that, due to a concentrated effort in the fourth quarter, Rajon Rondo finished with 10 assists. That extended his double-digit streak to 34 games, the third longest in league history, but required Boston running a bizarre small-ball offense for the last several minutes designed strictly to get him assists.

Magic Johnson holds the NBA record with a 46-game streak in 1983-84, while John Stockton had a 37-game streak in 1989.

The Celtics dominated early, but the effects of the schedule had a clear impact in the second period. Boston missed 12 of its first 16 shots in the quarter, and only a series of Detroit turnovers kept the Pistons' lead down to 48-43 at the half.

Things didn't get any better in the third quarter for Boston, as the Pistons kept up the defensive pressure. Detroit outscored them 23-14 in the period, as Boston shot just 31.3 percent and turned the ball over seven times.

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